This corroded fragment from an iron buckle, lacking its loop, testifies to an era of robust cultural exchange in eighth-century Spain. Objects of similar style, found concentrated in the region of ancient Hispalis (Seville), may have been produced in local workshops in Baetica, corresponding roughly to modern Andalusia. The inlaid decoration reveals familiarity with ornamental motifs in Egyptian, Syrian, and central-Asian textiles. The imitation of Sasanian (Persian Empire) motifs such as the animals with neck bands and floating scarves may reflect intensifying contact with the East and the subsequent settlement that resulted in the establishment of the Umayyad Caliphate in Spain.
Lyre-shaped buckle plate, Hispano-Visigothic or early Umayyad period, eighth century. Iron with inlays of brass or copper alloy. Thaw Collection, 2012.2.69.